Race or ethnicity-based prejudice and discrimination are as pervasive today as they were in the past years. Even with tougher state and federal laws racism continues to be on the rise. Many people regardless of race, ethnicity or nationality whom we would not normally consider racist, voice racist thoughts or exhibit racist behaviors. On the surface many people flaunt their racist a€?bannersa€? and pretend to be accepting or tolerant of all people. But is this really the case? Are those who tell you that they are not racist actually being honest about the true feelings that they harbor in their heart? Why has it become a a€?fada€? to take an anti-racism stand only to turn around and speak or act in a racist manner? The Bible tells us that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Mathew 12:34). In other words, you cannot say that you dona€™t harbor racist thoughts or that you have no racist intent, or motives, or that you have no racist roots dug deep in your heart, and yet you hurl racist slurs and insults at someone. This is not possible because a racist mind empties its thoughts in the form of words and actions. Still, many individuals insist that their racist slurs against others does not necessary mean that they have a racist heart. Are such people in self-denial? Could whata€™s not in onea€™s heart, good or bad, be uttered in words or exhibited in actions? Racism is a destroyer of an essence of our human soul. Both the soul of the racist perpetrator and the individual who is on the receiving end of racism is negatively affected by this social ill. Every individual, regardless of race, ethnicity or nationality, should use the guidance of Goda€™s Holy Spirit, to honestly search within themselves for any areas where racial prejudice or bias may reside. If you are a Christian, you probably already know that the Bible tells us that all humans are created equal and made in the excellent image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), regardless of ethnicity, race or nationality. The Bible does not say that any man or woman was made superior or inferior to anyone. But this has not stopped many from accepting racist ways or beliefs. There seems to be a pervasiveness of racist behavior across many communities and societies, regardless of race, ethnicity or religion. Therefore, we could safely assume that even self-professed Christians are not necessarily less likely to be racists than others. Still, the fundamental precepts of the Bible give us spiritual guidance on how to treat others. This means that any willing person could in fact act positively based on Goda€™s Holy Word to cancel out any influence of racism in their life. We as individuals cannot fight racism within the larger society unless we are able to deal with our own racist minds, thoughts or actions. Deep-seated racism that lurks in the heart of an individual must first be dealt with by an honest self-examination and self-conviction without self-condemnation. This is a critical first step before we can even scrutinize others, or accuse anyone of harboring racist thoughts, speaking or acting in a racist manner. Otherwise, it becomes purely hypocritical if we as individuals do not first rid ourselves of the same ill that we point out in others (Mathew 7:5). So, the first step to fighting racial prejudice and discrimination is to start with self-examination. Ask God to help you as an individual to identify all areas of your own life where you may have been a perpetrator of racism in one form or another. Be willing to surrender your heart and soul for a a€?circumcisiona€? by God to chisel away any racial prejudice that you may be harboring. Because of the privacy of individual thoughts and mind, no one could really accurately judge the heart of another person except God, although we may judge the words and actions of individuals. Let us not as individuals wait until we loose control of our subconscious mind and utter racial slurs against another person before we begin to deal with the racism that we harbor in our hearts. References: The Holy Bible: Genesis 1:26-27; Mathew 7:5, 12:34